In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
Present simple example sentences | |
---|---|
Um.. it could be blue, I don't really remember. | Um.. podría ser azul, la verdad es que no lo recuerdo. |
Depends on where you look. | Depende de dónde busquemos. |
Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | Calculemos, yo pago 135 por semana por una persona... |
Hello guys, is it possible to make a little less noise? | Hola chicos, ¿podrían hacer un poco menos de ruido? |
Aren't there four of us dear? | ¿Acaso no somos cuatro, querido? |
Did you say Russia? That's unusual! | ¿Has dicho Rusia? ¡Eso es poco habitual! |
Hello dear, how is it going, do you need any help? | Hola querida, cómo vas, ¿necesitas ayuda con algo? |
You are right, it's probably worth more than one cigarette. | Tienes razón, probablemente valga más que un cigarrillo. |
Okay, who sings it? | De acuerdo, ¿quién la canta? |
When I have free time. | Cuando tengo tiempo libre. |
The cat is not actually mine, it's my girlfriend's cat. | El gato en realidad no es mío, es de mi novia. |
It's in Islington, zone-1, it's the best place for me so far. | Está en Islington, zona-1, es el mejor lugar para mí hasta ahora. |
Plus the bathroom and the kitchen are clean. | Además de que el baño y la cocina están limpios. |
It's usually at the top right of your screen. | Por lo general está en la parte superior de la pantalla. |
I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | Voy a pedirle que saque a pasear a Bear, para que podamos desayunar. |
It's individually, the small ones are 30p, big ones 50p. | Es individualmente, los pequeños valen 30p, los grandes 50p. |
How is there four of us? | ¿Cómo que cuatro de nosotros? |
I don't understand why they call it a bank holiday. | No entiendo por qué lo llaman feriado bancario. |
The rest of the house is okay, but the kitchen is a bit dirty. | El resto de la casa está bien, pero la cocina está un poco sucia. |
Hi, is your cat okay? | Hola, ¿está bien tu gato? |